Regulating device



Feb. 7, 1939. R. R. DONALDSON. JR 2,145,176

REGULATING DEVICE Filed June 4, 1935 INVENTOR Patented Feb. 7, 1939 REGULATING DEVICE Robert R. Donaldson, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa sssignor to John M. Hopwood, Dormont, Pa.

Application June 4, ms, SerislNO. 24sec 10 Claims.

This invention relates to regulating devices for fluid operated motors oi the reciprocating piston type, and more particularly to devices for eflecting incremental step-by-step movement of the piston without the use of mechanical cut-off mechanisms of the type which are operated by movement of the piston.

An object of this invention is the provision oi a regulating device that shall be sensitive to pressure changes and arranged to eflect the transmission of at least two pressure impulses that vary inversely to each other in magnitude and which shall include a pilot valve having an operating mechanism which responds to the inversely varying pressure impulses to actuate the pilot valve to control the direction of movement of a piston in a cylinder and which shall be returned to oil-position whenever the inversely varying pressure impulses reach predetermined values in relation to each other.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a pilot valve having differential pressure responsive mechanism for operating the same to its controlling on" positions and its oil-position, and means for supplying a differential pressure to the mechanism which, when 0! a predetermined value maintains the pilot valveinone of its operating positions, but when departing from such value operates the pilot valve to one or the other of its on positions.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be apparent and, will, in part, be obvious from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

A regulating device embodying the invention is more or less diagrammatically illustrated and shown in operative relationship to a regulator disposed to regulate the flow-oi a medium through a conduit in response to changes in pressure conditions across an orifice.

In the drawing a pipe or conduit I is shown through which a fluid or gaseous medium flows and which flow is regulated by a damper or valve 2 operated by a motor or actuating device I. Device 3 is illustrated as being of the hydraulic type comprising a cylinder 4 having a piston I therein and which is connected by a piston rod I and link I to the crank arm 8 of the damper. The cylinder is provided with ports 9 and l 0 at its top and bottom, respectively, through which a motive fluid, such as oil, may be introduced to cause piston 5 to move down or up. The piston moves downwardly when oil is introduced through port 9 and upwardly when admitted through port Ill. As is well understood in this art, one of the ports O-lll is connected to exhaust when motive fluid is introduced into the cylinder through the other of these ports.

Device l is controlled by a regulating device I I embodying this invention which responds to pressure conditions on opposite sides of an orifice 12 in conduit I. Device H is connected by pipes l8 and It to the opposite sides of the orifice and as connected will respond to changes in the pressure drop across it. For a given adjustment of device H, this device will so-operate and control motor device 3 and therefore, the adjustment or position of damper 2, that the drop across orifice i2 is maintained substantially constant at some predetermined or desired value. By connecting device H to only one side oi orifice l2, it will be apparent that the pressure on that side of the orifice may be maintained substantially constant at some predetermined value.

Device I l comprises a pressure sensitive mechanism II which is connected by pipes 13 and I4 across orifice l2, and which responds to changes in pressure drop across it: and escapement valve it operated by mechanism II and which sends out pressure impulses through pipes l1 and it, that vary inversely in magnitude relative to each other; a pilot valve II which controls the admission 01 motive fluid to cylinder 4 through ports 9 and II, and an operating mechanism III which is connected to pipes l1 and I. and operates the pilot valve in accordance with the diflerence between the magnitudes 01' these pressure impulses.

As will be shown later herein, mechanisms 15, II, and ll are balanced against a given pressure drop across orifice I2 and that if this pressure drop changes this balance will be upset to effect changes in the pressure impulses in lines l1 and ll; that in response to these changes in pressure, the pilot valve II will be operated to admit motive fluid to one side or the other 01 the piston 5 in cylinder 4 to effect such an adjustment of damper 2 as will restore the pressure drop to the desired value; and that device 20 will operate to shift or adjust the escapement valve it in a direction opposite to that in which it was moved by device I! so that the pressure impulses in lines l1 and I8 will be restored to the relative values existing between them when the pressure drop across orifice I! was 01' the value ior which device H was balanced.

Device ll comprises a diaphrrgm chamber or housing made up of complementary parts 2| and 22 between which the marginal edge of a flexible diaphragm II is secured in a pressure-tight relationship. The diaphragm separates the interior of the housing into two chambers 24 and 25 one of which is connected by pipe |3 to the upstream side of orifice l2 and the other of which is connected by pipe H to the downstream side of this orifice. The inner portion of diaphragm 213 is backed on each side by backing plates 25 through .which extends a connecting means 21 that projects through openings 26 and 29 ingparts 2| and v 22 of the diaphragm housing. The upper end or this connecting means is connected to the lower end of a tension spring which is supported from an adjustable screw support 3| carried by a support 32 secured to housing member 2|. The lower end of connecting means 21 is connected by a flexible link 33 to a valve link 34 of escapement valve I6.

The openings 28 and 29 through which connecting means 21 extends are sealed by means of light flexible diaphragms 35 the outer edges of which are clamped tightly to the housing parts by means of clamping rings 35.

Connecting means 21 comprises a through bolt 31'which extends through the central portion of diaphragm 23 and backing plates 26, and is provided with cylindrical members 36 screwthreaded thereon to clamp the backing plates tightly into engagement with the diaphragm. The sealingonto the through bolt and which are locked in place by means of lock nuts 49. The connection between the through bolt and the lower end of,

- nection 33.

Escapement valve 5 comprises a valve body 44 having internal chambers 45, 46,'and 41 therein. Chamber 45, the central chamber, is connected by a pipe 48 to a source of fluid pressure which is maintained at a substantially constant pressure, and chambers 46 and 41 are connected to pipes l1 and |9, respectively. The partitions between chamber 45 and chambers 46 and 41 are provided with openings 49 and 50 which openings are controlled by valve members 5| and 52 secured to valve link 34. Valve members 5| and 52 are shown as being spherical in form and so positioned as to cooperate with tapered seats S formed at the edges of openings 49 and 59. When valve members 5| and 52 are equally spaced from seats S, the pressures in chambers 46 and 41 and in lines l1 and I8 will be equal provided the leakage from chambers 46 and 41 is equal.

The leakage from chambers 45 and 41 takes place through leak-oi! ports 54 and 54 formed in bushings 55 and 55' which are threaded into the opposite ends 01' the valve body 44. The leakoff ports 54 and 54' are controlled also by valve members 5| and 52, so that the pressure existing in chambers 46 and 41 and in pipes l1 and I6, at any time, will be dependent upon the relative pressure drops through valve openings 49 and 59 and through leak-off ports 54 and 54 as determined by the relative distances of valve members 5| and 52 from the respective valve openings or ports controlled thereby.

If valve members 5| and 52 are equi-distant from seats S, and if bushings 55 and 55 are adjusted so that ports 54 and 54' are equi-distant from members 5| and 52 the pressures in chambers 46 and 41 and in pipes I1 and i8 will be equal. When ball valves 5| and 52 are moved upwardly, leak-oil port 54 is restricted, as is valve opening 50, while leak-of! port 54' is opened wider as is valve opening 49. Therefore, the pressure in chamber 46 and pipe |1 will increase because 01' less leakage through port 54, and the pressure in chamber 41 and pipe I8 will decrease because of increased leakage from this chamber and this pipe through port 54'. If the ball valves are moved downwardly, the opposite action takes place, i. e., the pressure in chamber 46 and pipe .|1 decreases while the pressure in chamber 41 which a pipe 50 is connected, pipe 60 being connected to a supply of motive fluid (not shown),

two outlet ports 5| and 52 connected respectively to ports 9 and "I of the cylinder 4 by pipes 53 and 64 and an exhaust port 65. The exhaust port is connected bypassages 66 and 51 to the valve bore at points above and below outlet ports 5| and 62, respectively.

Valve 58 is of the balanced type and has a plurality of spaced cylindrical portions 68, 69, 19, and 1| which flt the bore of the valve body and which are separated and connected by portions 12 of reduced diameter. The inlet passage 59 is positioned midway between ports 6| and 62 and portions 69 and-19 of valve 55'are so spaced that when valve 58 is in oiT or neutral position, ports 6| and 62 are closed and no motive fluid can pass through the valve from the supply pipe 59 to either end 01 cylinder 4.

If valve 55 is moved upwardiy,-port 5| is placed in communication with passage 59 so that motive fluid can enter cylinder 4 through port 9, while at the same time the lower end of the cylinder is connected to exhaust, as ports l0 and 52 are placed in communication with exhaust passage 54 v returned to neutral or off position, the piston stops moving.

When valve 59 is moved downwardly from neutral position, the lower end of cylinder 4 is connected to supply pipe 65 as port 62 is placed in communication with inlet passage 59, and the upper end of the cylinder is connectedto exhaust passage 51 and exhaust'port 55 as port 6| is shut off 'from inlet passage 59 and connected with passage 61. The piston 5 will therefore move upwardly to force motive fluid out of the space above it to exhaust as above described.

Valve I9 is operated by device 20 in accordance with the diiierence in pressure impulses set up in pipes I1 and I8. Device 29 comprises a pressuretight housing made up of complementary parts 1| and 12 having flanges 13 and 14 which are bolted together as shown. Between these flanges a partition 15 is clamped which divides the housing into chambers 16 and 11 and supports bellows 16 and 19 therein. The open ends of these bellows are clamped with rings 69 in pressuretight relationship to support 15. These bellows are provided with compression springs 5| and 92 which tend to expand them and which yieldingly oppose contraction thereof when pressure is admitted to chambers I8 and I1. Valve 58 is connected by a rod. 83 to bellows I8 and I8, being rigidly connected to the respective upper and lower ends thereof as shown. Pressure is admitted to chambers I6 and IT by pipes I1 and I8, respectively, and when the pressures in these chambers are equal, valve 58 will be held in its neutral or oil position. When the pressure is greater in one of these chambers than in the other, valve 58 will be moved either upwardly or downwardly; it will be moved upwardly, if the pressure in chamber 11 is greater than in chamber I6 or downwardly if the pressure in chamber I6 is greater than in chamber 11.

From the above it is seen that downward movement of valve 58 corresponds to upward movement of valve link 34, diaphragm 23, and piston 5, with corresponding adjustment of damper 2 towards open position, caused by valve I6 increasing the pressure in chamber T6 and decreasing the'pressure in chamber 11, the result of a decrease in pressure drop across orifice I2. Likewise, upward movement of valve 58 corresponds to downward movement of valve link 34, diaphragm 23, and piston 5, with corresponding adjustments of damper 2 towards closed position, caused by an increase in pressure in chamber 11 and a decrease in'chamber I8, the result of an increase in pressure drop across orifice I2.

Valve 58 is yieldingly connected to valve link 34 by a spring 85 which cooperates with bellows I8 and 19 to shift or tend to shift valve link 34 and valve members 5| and 52 in a direction opposite to that in which link 34 is moved by diaphragm 23. Thus device 28 acting through valve 58 and spring 85 operates on valve I6 to reestablish equilibrium between the pressures in chambers I8 and I1 and thereby to return valve 58 to ofi position. This action occurs with each increment or change in pressure drop across orifice I2 so that incremental step-by-step movement of piston 5 and adjustment of damper 2 may be effected in response to increasing and decreasing pressure drops across orifice l2. Therefore, when the pressure drop across orifice I2 varies from a predetermined value, adjustments of damper 2 are accomplished incrementally in the direction which corrects the condition and restores the pressure drop to the desired value;

thereby preventing hunting of regulator 3 and over or under correction of the pressure drop.

The operation of the regulator shown in the drawings is as follows: When the pressure drop across orifice I2 is at the value to be maintained and device I l is in adjustment, there will be tension in springs 38 and 85, valve I8 will be in its neutral position and the pressure in chambers I8 and II of device 28 will be equal so that valve I8 will also be in its neutral or of! position. Also the pressure diflerential acting on diaphragm 23 will be in equilibrium with the forces exerted on it by springs 38, 85 and the weight of the moving parts between spring 85 and diaphragm 23.

If the pressure drop across orifice I2 increases, diaphragm 23 will move downwardly thereby increasing the tension in spring 38, causing an unbalance between springs 38 and 85. Valve link 34 will therefore move downwardly and relieve the tension in spring 85. As valve link 34 moves downwardly, valve member 5I moves away from leak-on port 54 and towards valve passage 48, thereby restricting the flow 01' fluid into chamber 48. This allows fluid to escape through port 54 from chamber 48 at a greater rate than it flows into the same from pipe 48, thereby decreasing the pressure in chamber 18 of device 28. With downward movement of link 84, valve member 52 moves away from valve passage 58, thereby increasing the flow area through it and moves towards valve port 54', thereby throttling and restricting the leak-ofi through bushing 55. This causes the pressure in chamber 41 to increase whereby the pressure transmitted through pipe I8 to chamber 11 of device 28 is increased. The pressure in chamber 11 being greater than in chamber 18, valve 58 is moved upwardly so that motive fluid is admitted to the upper end of cylin der 4, the lower end being then connected to exhaust, so that piston 5 will move downwardly and shift damper 2 towards closed position. This adjustment tends to decrease the pressure difierential acting on diaphragm 23. When valve 58 moves upwardly, the tension in spring 85 is relieved again so that this, with the decrease in drop across orifice I2 and the increased tension in spring 38 caused by downward movement of diaphragm 23, will cause diaphragm 23 and valve link 34 to move upwardly towards their neutral positions. As valve I6 approaches its neutral position the pressure in chamber I8 of device 28 is gradually increased while that in chamber TI is gradually decreased and when these pressures become equal, valve 58 will be in its neutral or ofi position and movement of piston 5 will stop. If damper 2 has not been moved far enough towards closed position to restore the pressure drop across orifice I 2, to the desired value the above described operation will be repeated until the pressure drop across the orifice is restored to its proper value, i. e., that value which will place device II in a state of balance, which as stated previously herein, occurs when diaphragm 23 and the forces exerted on it by springs 38 and 85 are in balance, and valves I6 and I8 are in their neutral positions.

If the pressure drop across orifice I2 decreases, the opposite action takes place in that diaphragm 23 moves upwardly, moving valve member 5I away from the valve passage 48 and towards leak-off port 54 thereby causing the pressure in chamber 48 and in pipe I! to increase whereby the pressure in chamber 16 of device 28 is increased at the same time, valve member 52 moves towards valve passage 58 and away from leak-01f port 54 whereby the pressure in chamber H of device 28 is reduced. This causes valve 58 to move downwardly so that pressure is admitted to the bottom of cylinder 4 and cause piston 5 to move upwardly to shift damper 2 towards open position. Downward movement of valve 58 increases the tension in spring 85 so that valve link 34 ispulled downwardly to thereby return valve members 5| and 52 to their neutral positions and gradually restore the pressures in chambers I8 and H to equal values so that valve 58 will be returned to its neutral or all position. This action will be repeated until the pressure drop across valve I2 is restored to theproper value.

While device II has been shown as regulating the pressure drop across an orifice to thereby maintain the flow of a medium through a conduit substantially constant, it will be appreciated that either chamber, 24 or 25 of device I5, may be connected to a medium, the pressure of which is to be regulated. Chamber 24 may be connected to a source of pressure higher than atmospheric which is to be regulated, or chamber 25 may be connected to a source of suction which is to be regulated.

the operation of a fluid operated cylinder which in turn controls or adjusts a damper, it will be appreciated that this fluid operated cylinder may be utilized to operate any device which performs a regulating function to which diaphragm 23 responds.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Regulating apparatus comprising pressure responsive means, means for transmitting a plurality of pressure impulses one of whichvaries directly and another inversely in accordance with the response of said pressure responsive means to a variable pressure condition, means responsive to and operated in accordance with the difference between said pressure impulses, and a pilot valve controlled by said diiierential pressure operated means for controlling the delivery of motive fluid to one end or the other of a cylinder in which a piston is working and thereby controlling the direction of movement of the piston, and means actuated by said difierential pressure operated means for yieldingly urging the pressure responsive means in a direction tending to cause the transmitted pressure impulses to approach equilibrium.

2. The combination with a fluid pressure operated motor comprising a cylinder having a piston mounted for reciprocation therein, and a pilot valve for controlling the delivery of pressure fluid to one side or the other of the piston, of pressure actuated means for operating the pilot valve in accordance with a pressure diiierential applied thereto, an escapement valve having a port connected to 'a supply of fluid pressure and two outlet ports connected in opposed relation to the pressure actuated means, each port being connected to a restricted leak-ofi passage, and pressure responsive means for so controlling said escapement valve that the pressures delivered through said ports vary inversely to each other thereby maintaining a pressure diflerential on said pressure actuated means that is a function of the pressure acting on the pressure responsive means, and yieldable means controlled by the differential pressure actuated means for urging said escapement valve toward a position in which the pressures delivered through its outlet ports approach equilibrium.

3. Regulating apparatus comprising a diaphragm responsive to changes in pressure on a side thereof, a valve having an inlet chamber for a flowing fluid medium communicating through valve ports with discharge chambers, each having an exhaust port and an outlet port, and valve members connected to the diaphragm and positioned to restrict one of said valve ports and uncover the other in accordance with the direction and extent of movement of the diaphragm whereby the pressures in said chambers are caused to vary oppositely in magnitude, a cylinder having a piston working therein and provided with ports at its opposite ends for the admission of a motive fluid, a pilot valve having ports connected to said cylinder ports and an exhaust port, said pilot valve delivering motive fluid to one of the cylinder ports while exhausting from the other to cause the piston to move in one direction or the other in accordance with the position of the valve, means for operating said pilot valve including a differential diaphragm connected on opposite sides to the respective outlet ports of said discharge chambers, and a resilient connection between said pilot valve and said first mentioned diaphragm arranged to urge said valve members towards the position in which the pressures in said discharge chambers are restored towards equal values. I

4. Regulating apparatus comprising 9. diaphragm responsive to changes in pressure on a side thereof, a valve having'an inlet chamber for a flowing fluid medium communicating through valve ports with discharge chambers each having an exhaust port and an outlet port, and valve members connected to the diaphragm and posifluid to one of the cylinder ports while exhausting from the other to cause the piston to move in one direction or the other in accordance with the position of the valve, means for operating said pilot valve including a diilerential pressure actuated member connected on opposite sides to the respective outlet ports of said discharge chambers, and a resilient connection between said pilot valve and said discharge chamber valve members disposed to actuate said valve members in a direction opposite to that in which they were moved by said pressure responsive diaphragm.

5. Regulating apparatus comprising a diaphragm responsive to changes in pressure on a side thereof, a valve having an inlet chamber for a flowing fluid medium communicating through valve ports with discharge chambers each having an exhaust port and an outlet port, and valve members connected to the diaphragm and positioned to restrict one of said valve ports and uncover the other in accordance with the direction and extent of movement of the diaphragm whereby the pressures in said chambers are caused to vary oppositely to each other in magnitude, a cylinder having a piston working therein and provided with ports at its opposite ends for the admission of a motive fluid, a pilot valve having ports connected to said cylinder ports and an exhaust port, said pilot valve delivering motive fluid to one of the cylinder ports while exhausting from the other to cause the piston to move in one direction or the other in accordance with the position of the valve, means for operating said pilot valve including a differential pressure actuated member connected on opposite sides to the respective outlet ports of said discharge chambers, and a yieldable connection between said diaphragm and diiierential pressure actuated member tending to urge the pressure responsive diaphragm in a direction opposite to that in which it is moved in response to a pressure change.

6. In regulating apparatus, a multi-port valve having two outlet ports for the transmission of pressure impulses and both connected to a common supply source of pressure medium, and a throttling valve disposed to increase the pressure to one outlet and simultaneously decrease the pressure to the' other outlet in accordance with the position of said valve, a pressure responsive element for moving said valve in one direction or the other in accordance with changes in pressure acting thereon, a pilot valve disposed to deliver a pressure fluid to one side or the other of a piston working in a cylinder and simultaneously exhausting fluid from the side of the piston opposite to that receiving pressure fluid, a differential diaphragm connected to the respective outlet ports of the multi-port valve and disposed to actuate said pilot valve in accordance with the difference between the pressures at said ports, and a yielding connection between said pressure responsive element and said differential diaphragm arranged to urge said pressure responsive element in a direction opposite to that in which it was moved by the change in pressure acting thereon.

'7. In regulating apparatus, means responsive to variations in a pressure to be controlled, valve means controlled by said pressure responsive means adapted to transmit two pressure impulses varying oppositely in magnitude in accordance with variations in a pressure to be controlled, an actuator connected to respond to the difference between said pressure impulses, a pilot valve connected to be operated by said actuator, said valve having two on" ports, an off position, and an exhaust port asociated with said on" ports, a cylinder having a piston working therein, one end of which cylinder is connected to one of said on ports and the other being connected to the other of said on" ports, said piston moving one way or the other under the influence of a pressure fluid admitted through one or the other of said on ports, and means yieldingly interconnecting said actuator and pressure variation responsive means arranged to cause the valve means to equalize the pressure impulses transmitted thereby to said actuator.

8. A regulating device comprising pressure responsive means, a valve actuated by said pressure responsive means, a motor device including a cylinder and piston, a pilot valve for controlling the delivery of operating fluid to said cylinder, means under the control of said first mentioned valve for operating the pilot valve, and a resilient connection between said pressure responsive means and pilot valve operating means arranged to yieldingly oppose movement of said pressure responsive means and to be operated by said pilot valve operating means to urge the valve actuated by said pressure responsive means in a direction opposite to that in which it is actuated thereby.

9. The combination with a cylinder having a piston working therein, and a pilot valve for controlling the delivery of pressure operating fluid to the cylinder, of pressure actuated means for operating the pilot valve in accordance with variations in pressure applied to said means, an escapement valve disposed to control the delivery of operating fluid to said pressure actuated pilot valve operating means, pressure responsive means for operating said escapement valve in accordance with changes in pressure applied thereto, and a yieldable element operatively connected to said pilot valve operating means and said pressure responsive means tending to yieldingly oppose movement of said pressure responsive means and to be operated by said pilot valve operating means to urge the escapement valve in a direction opposite to that in which it is moved by the pressure responsive means.

10. Regulating apparatus comprising a pressure responsive diaphragm, a spring connected to said diaphragm and yieldingly urging it in one direction against pressure variations, a valve actuated by said diaphragm, a motor device comprising a cylinder and piston, a pilot valve for controlling the admission of actuating fluid to said cylinder, means under the control of said first mentioned valve for operating said pilot valve, and a spring operatively connected to said pilot valve operating means and said pressure responsive diaphragm arranged to be operated by said pilot valve operating means to urge said diaphragm in a direction opposite to that in which it moves under the influence of said pressure variations.

ROBERT R. DONALDSON, JR. 

